Politics: DHS Funding Still Unresolved

As a follow-up to a previous daily post, the deadline for funding the Department of Homeland Security has passed. On February 27th, Congress managed instead to pass a bill allowing for a 7-day extension to keep the debate going. As a result, we now have until the end of this week to discover if there will be a partial government shutdown and if thousands of DHS employees will be spending time unpaid and temporarily out of work.

While much of the blame has fallen on House Speaker John Boehner’s shoulder, it is not just coming from his opposing party. Senate Democrats have indeed been rejecting all his proposed bills because they address President Obama’s controversial new immigration policy. However, House conservatives are also pressuring Boehner the opposite way because they say if he gives in, then Republicans will be spending the next 2 years in appeasing the Democrats. It is possible to oust a House Speaker, and though it has never happened, attempts have been made in the past, and even this past January, by the most conservative wing of the House. Boehner is in a tough position, and the 7-day delay will only prolonged the issue and produce more uncertainty in the week ahead.